Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question No. 67-19(2) asked by the Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh on June 1st, 2023, regarding unresolved matters of Federal Indian Day Schools. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Member stated that on April 1, 1969, the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. Relinquished control of the Federal Indian Day schools and transferred the program to the Northwest Territories. There were 29 Federal Indian Day schools in the NWT where Indigenous children and youth were subjected to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and cultural genocide. The Member asked if the Premier can provide in detail the steps the Government of the Northwest Territories has taken to formally acknowledge and document these abuses.
The GNWT has compiled a complete history of schools, residences, and other western educational institutions in the NWT in its publication, Report on the History of NWT Educational Facilities. The GNWT will continue to engage with Indigenous governments and communities to learn more about how they choose to proceed with the investigation of this still-upsetting chapter in their past and how they believe the GNWT can assist them.
The Member stated that survivors want an opportunity to share their experiences and stories and preserve these for historical records. The Member asked if the Premier can describe in detail what the GNWT has done to set up a commission to listen to these experiences and stories, and establish an archive for on-going learning and research, similar to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
The GNWT remains open to engagement with Indigenous governments and communities to formulate an acceptable approach to manage this difficult part of their history. The GNWT continues to collaborate with the Indigenous leadership as a Member of the Council of Leaders and is dedicated to offering help however it can.
The Member stated that the Prime Minister of Canada and the Pope formally apologized to residential school survivors and acknowledged the inter-generational damage caused by residential schools. The Member asked what the rationale is for the Premier not apologizing for the GNWT's role in its abuses and cultural genocide of Indigenous children and youth with Federal Indian Day schools.
There is still more work to be done in order to address reconciliation in the Northwest Territories, but we are making progress. Although the journey will be lengthy and occasionally challenging, we are dedicated to seeing it through.
The Member also asked what position would the GNWT take on a class action lawsuit brought forward by survivors of the federal Indian Day Schools.
The GNWT recognizes that class action approval has been filed this year for a lawsuit against the Government of Manitoba as one of the respondents by former residential school students. The GNWT also recognizes the 2006 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the 2019 Federal Indian Day School Class Action Settlement as well as the Indian Residential Schools Day Scholars Settlement of 2021.
While these lawsuits and settlements recognized the damage caused by residential schools, the agreements desired a fair, comprehensive, and lasting resolution of the legacy of these schools by compensating the survivors and their descendants. The GNWT reaffirms its dedication to work with the Indigenous leadership and offer assistance to its Members. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.